Page 89 of Make-Believe Match

I hardly slept that night, I was so nervous.

In the morning, even before Devlin was awake, I gave up trying and got out of bed. I threw on the button-up shirt he’d taken off and tossed on the floor in our hurry to get undressed last night, and wandered out of the dark bedroom, pulling the door shut behind me.

I marveled at the luxury I hadn’t been able to fully appreciate since we’d gotten in so late. Bad weather had delayed our flight, and it was after midnight by the time we’d arrived. We’d gone straight to bed.

He’d said his Boston apartment was “nice,” which was a massive understatement. Huge windows and high ceilings drenched the place in soft gray light, showing off the gorgeous wood plank floors, the sleek modern lines of his furniture, the shiny quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen. I popped a pod in his coffee maker, yawning while it filled my cup. The aroma of a dark roast filled my nostrils, and I breathed it in gratefully. When it was done, I moused around in his pantry and found a bag of sugar. He didn’t have any cream, but I could live without it. After adding a little sweetness, I wrapped my hands around the cup and shuffled barefoot over to the living room window.

It was overcast and rainy today, and I watched colorful umbrellas move quickly along downtown sidewalks as people made their way to work. Taking a sip of my coffee, I wondered if I could see the building where our meeting would be today at eleven a.m.

Behind me, the bedroom door opened. I heard footsteps in the kitchen, a cupboard door closing, second cup of coffee being brewed. A moment later, Devlin appeared at the window beside me. He was shirtless, wearing just a pair of soft gray sweatpants.

“Morning,” he said, his voice gravelly.

“Morning.”

“How’d you sleep?”

“I’m not sure I did.” I sipped my coffee. “You?”

“Like a baby.”

I sighed. “Jerk.”

Chuckling, he moved behind me and wrapped one arm around my middle. Kissed my shoulder. “Everything is going to be okay, Lexi. We’re going to walk in there and dazzle them with our pitch deck and our professionalism, not to mention our stunning good looks.”

I laughed. “Okay.”

“By the time we’re through telling them about everything we’re going to do, they’ll be begging us to take their money.” He squeezed me tighter. “You’ll see.”

“You’re very persuasive.”

He kissed my shoulder again, then whispered in my ear. “It’s a gift.”

* * *

Believe it or not, the meeting went down almost exactly like Devlin said it would. Okay, maybe they weren’t begging us to take their money, but once we’d shown them all the charts and spreadsheets Devlin had created, all the market data he’d collected, all the plans from the builders and renderings from the designers, they appeared convinced.

Devlin was incredible. He blew my mind the way he presented the information, listened to questions and concerns, and addressed each one with thoughtful responses. My appreciation for his gift grew as I watched him win over every last person in the room, not with smarmy bullshit or false bravado, but with genuine respect for the people at the table and their time. Occasionally, while Devlin worked his magic, I’d exchange a smile with Jennifer Bates, Sara’s mom, a slender, dark-haired woman in her early forties. It was like we were in on a secret—Devlin couldn’t lose.

When my part came, I spoke about growing up at Snowberry, about my family’s legacy, about wanting to build something that would both honor tradition and embrace modern luxury. Devlin’s presence at my side was reassuring. Every time I grew nervous and panicky, I’d look at him, and he’d smile—a refuge in the storm. I’d take a breath, refocus, and keep going.

When it was over and the other investors had shaken our hands and left the room, Sara’s mom hugged us both. “Congratulations to you both—on your marriage and your new business venture. I’ll get investment terms to you within a week.”

“Thank you,” I said. I held out a hand, which continued to tremble. “I can’t believe it’s done. I might never stop shaking!”

Jennifer covered my hand with both of her own. “These meetings are always stressful.”

“Unless you’re Devlin.” I looked at him with awe. “You never even broke a sweat!”

He smiled. Gave an easy shrug. “I’m used to this.”

“I don’t know how I’m going to break it to Sara that you’re moving away for good,” Jennifer said to Devlin. “She’s been so sad since you left town.”

“I shouldn’t have left without saying goodbye,” he said. “I’ll make it up to her. I owe her an ice cream cone. Is she around this afternoon?”

“She is.” Jennifer checked her watch. “On Fridays, I pick her up from school at three-twenty.”

“Do you have dinner plans?” he asked. “We could all go out for pizza or something.”